“UNKNOWN GOD???”

Acts 17:21-28                                                           (ESV)
“21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.
23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: 'To the “UNKNOWN GOD”.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
24 The GOD WHO made the world and everything in it, being LORD of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,
25 nor is HE served by human hands, as though HE needed anything, since HE himself gives to ALL MANKIND LIFE and BREATH and EVERYTHING.
26 And HE made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,
27 that they should seek GOD, and perhaps feel their way toward HIM and find HIM. Yet HE is actually not far from each one of us,
28 for "'In HIM we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed HIS offspring.'”

The eloquent words spoken by the Apostle Paul in the text above was delivered to the “Greeks”, who considered themselves to be some of the most philosophical of all people.  They pondered matters deeply and tried to get to the best solution that mankind could achieve.  But their altar admitted that they did not know WHO created them, for they named HIM the “UNKNOWN GOD”!

In Romans 1:22-23 Paul writes “Claiming to be wise, THEY BECAME FOOLS, and exchanged the glory of the IMMORTAL GOD for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”  Mankind’s knowledge can never figure out the things of GOD.  We do not have that capability.  Hebrews 11:6 says “And without FAITH it is impossible to please HIM, for whoever would draw near to GOD must believe that HE exists and that HE rewards those who seek HIM.  To have FAITH in an “UNKNOWN GOD”, we would have to ADMIT that we are subordinate to HIM.   The enemy wants us to believe that our eyes will be opened to be like GOD, but his lie leads only to DEATH, just like it always has!

We can dress our sin in our Sunday best clothing, but then we will do our best to hide from GOD when HE comes looking for us (Genesis 3:8)!  Paul was trying to be all things to all people to make the Message where they could understand.  We MUST exhibit FAITH in order to please GOD.   Our sin requires that we do nothing less.  Until we replace our “UNKNOWN GOD” with FAITH in OUR CREATOR we will continue believing the lie hatched by the enemy.  We are CALLED to KNOW HIM!!!